Homecoming
by turbo denali
Summary: Korra manages to restore peace and balance in the world, but comes to realize her Avatar duties aren't the only things she needs to address upon her return to Republic City.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: LoK and all associated stuff belongs to Nick and blah blah blah, let'sgetonwithit.**

**SPOILER ALERT: This fic was written shortly after the release of Book 4, Chapter 3. It is safe to assume that you'll run into spoilers if you haven't gotten up to this point. This fic takes place sometime after Korra's return to Republic City (whenever that's going to be), so it's also safe to assume that i'm making up a bunch of stuff. You have been warned.**

**This fic alludes to something that occurred in Promises, a one-shot i wrote that takes place near the end of Book 3. I don't consider this to be a continuation of that story, so you don't have to read it in order to understand this one.**

**And last, but not least, i would like to credit splitts with inspiring this little roller coaster with this wonderful piece of fan art: **splits.*tumblr*.*c*o*m*/*post/99813387315/little-words-all-spelling-out-longing (you'll have to delete all the * because ffn is being a tool and won't let me insert a hyperlink)**. It ****gave me an idea for a cute little one-shot, which ultimately grew into this three-piece, mini soap opera.**

**/**

Kuvira's army was dismantled. Unable to return to Zao Fu, the deposed dictator now lived in self-imposed exile on Kyoshi Island. The cities and provinces that comprised the Earth Kingdom had chosen to form the Earth Federation, a new nation governed by an elected parliament. Prince Wu was given a more or less ceremonial role in Ba Sing Se under the guise of facilitating the transition to a representative government on the condition that none of his heirs would inherit any of his titles or powers - limited as they were. People were finally beginning to accept and even enjoy the presence of sprits. And for the first time in years, Korra felt like there was some semblance of balance in the world.

Korra closed her eyes turned her face upward, soaking in the heat of the summer sun and feeding her inner firebender. A slight tingling sensation danced underneath her skin and she couldn't resist a smile. It was faint, but she could sense the energy radiating out from the vines and spirits in Republic City even from her perch on Air Temple Island. The vines criss-crossed the city in a seemingly random pattern, but the people of Republic City had found ways to adapt to their presence. Spirits were now a part of everyday life throughout most of the city and the vines had long ago ceased to be considered a nuisance. The city's transformation was astounding and Korra still couldn't quite believe it.

A slight pang of nostalgia swept through her. So much had changed in her absence. Thanks to the uprising, there hadn't been time for her to appreciate those changes when she first returned to the city. It took a couple of weeks for things to settle down and this was the first chance she'd had to really sit down and soak it all in. Oddly enough, the growing realization that the world moved on without her was as reassuring as it was bittersweet. A crash echoed across the island and she heard Meelo shouting at Ikki. Korra laughed to herself. The world moved forward, but it was clear that some things would remain the same.

With one last thought for the changes she'd witnessed, Korra stood and brushed the dirt from her pants. She strolled across the courtyard, pausing when she heard the commotion down near the dock. Curiosity took over. Korra changed directions and headed for the steep stairs that led down to the water. The noise grew closer and she picked out Meelo's over-enthusiastic voice and someone's indulgent laughter. A woman's laughter. Asami's laughter.

Korra froze.

Asami was on the island. Korra looked down at herself and winced, suddenly aware of how much she stank. She spent all morning going through bending forms and even though it was already almost noon, she hadn't gotten around to cleaning up. She couldn't see Asami like this! Korra looked around for an escape, but she knew it was too late. It briefly occurred to her that Asami had seen her in far worse conditions, though the thought wasn't as comforting as it should've been. When Asami came into view, Korra resigned herself to her fate and prayed that Asami didn't stand downwind.

"Korra! I'm glad to find you here," said Asami. "I was a little afraid you would be out somewhere on Avatar business."

Korra took a moment to center herself. It wasn't easy. "Ah, nope," she said. "Not today. Tenzin insisted I take a few days off, actually." She noticed that Asami had traded in her business attire for a casual skirt and sandals. "Looks like you're taking the day off, too."

"Yes, well, it _is_ the weekend. Besides, it's way too hot today. I'd probably run everything on a skeleton crew if it were a normal workday. It's not really safe to have people working around a bunch of machinery in this heat," said Asami.

"You're telling me. Did you come all the way out here just to get away from the office for a while?"

Asami shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Actually, I came by to see you. We've all been pretty busy and I haven't been able to see much of you since you got back into town." A hint of pink appeared on her pale skin. "Not without the boys, I mean. So I thought you might want to go out somewhere."

Korra grinned. "Sure. I'd love to. Just, uh… Can you give me a few minutes to clean up? I'm kinda gross right now," she said, gesturing to her dirty clothes.

"Oh, yeah. By all means." Asami wrinkled her nose. "Yeah. Definitely. Go wash."

"Hey, I'll have you know this is the hard-earned stink of a good workout," Korra said with a playful jab.

"That hard-earned stink is the only reason I haven't hugged you yet."

Korra rubbed the back of her head. "Uh, yeah. That makes sense." She looked over her shoulder at the women's quarters. "I'll make it quick."

She led Asami to her room, grabbed a fresh change of clothes, and rushed off to shower. As promised, she returned after only a few minutes. Asami looked up from the picture frame in her hands, clearly surprised to see her. Korra tossed her dirty clothes in a corner and draped her damp towel around her neck.

"That really was quick," said Asami.

Korra shrugged. "One of the benefits of being a waterbender. It turns out having short hair doesn't hurt, either."

Asami took a step forward and brushed aside a piece of hair that slipped and fell in front of Korra's face. "What made you decide to cut it?" she asked.

"Honestly? I was kind of running away from myself." Korra looked away and hoped Asami couldn't see how much her simple gesture affected her. "I didn't want to be recognized. It was a little cathartic, too, I guess."

"Are you going to keep it short?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, it looks cute," Asami said. "It's very… you. Very practical."

Korra couldn't fight the bashful smile that took over and mumbled her thanks. Her attention turned to the picture Asami held and she pointed at it. "What's this?"

"Oh, right. Here." Asami handed it to Korra. Now it was her turn to blush. "It's just a little homecoming gift."

Korra looked down and saw herself next to Mako and Bolin. All three were in fighting stances and fully decked out in their probending gear. The Future Industries logo stood out on the front of their uniforms and the stadium glowed in the background. Recognition slowly seeped in and she grinned. It was the promotional photo taken before their match with the Wolfbats. "Wow. Where did you find this?" she asked.

"It was in my office, actually. I used to keep it on my desk, but I thought you might want it," said Asami.

"Thank you." Korra pulled Asami into a hug. "Thank you so much. This is great."

Asami returned the hug and leaned into her arms. Korra felt her breath on her neck and she thought for a moment that her heart might beat right out of her chest. She reluctantly pulled back and moved to set the picture on her nightstand. When she looked up, she caught Asami watching her with an expression she hadn't seen in three years. Korra swallowed hard and nervously wiped her palms on her thighs. She straightened, silently chiding herself. Why was she so nervous? If Asami still wanted her the way she wanted Asami, wasn't that a good thing? Wasn't that what she'd been hoping for? Hadn't she prayed that Asami would forgive her for years of silence and her unexpected disappearance?

Korra cleared her throat. "So, where are you taking me, Miss Sato?"

"Well, Avatar Korra," said Asami, "I thought I might show you my secret hideout."

/

The first thing Korra noticed when they pulled up in front of the Sato mansion was that it looked far more inviting than she remembered. The solid grey of the walls was broken up by clusters of trees and bushes. The imposing stone arch above gate had been removed and the gate itself was replaced by a smaller, simpler wrought iron gate. It was a nice change, Korra decided.

Asami steered her car around to the side entrance, parked, and handed the keys to an attendant who jogged up to greet her. Korra hopped out and followed Asami up the stairs to the front door of the mansion. Her butler, a short man with neat hair, opened the door and stepped aside to let them in. Korra briefly wondered how he could manage to wear a suit and look so composed on such a hot day.

"Welcome back, Miss Sato. Shall I have some tea prepared for you and your guest? Some jasmine tea, perhaps?" he asked.

"Yes, please, Wei," said Asami. "Does jasmine sound good to you, Korra?"

The butler immediately gave her a little bow. "Avatar Korra. My apologies. I did not recognize you."

Korra ran a hand through her hair and glanced down at her cropped pants and sleeveless shirt. It dawned on her that she probably looked more like a country bumpkin than one of the most powerful benders in the world. "It's alright. I wouldn't recognize me, either," she said with a smile. "And jasmine would be great."

Wei bobbed his head and turned back to Asami. "I'll have it brought to the parlor."

"That would be perfect. Thank you," Asami said.

As soon as the butler turned to leave, Asami grabbed Korra's hand and led her deeper into the mansion. Korra tried to focus on the paintings and tapestries that hung on the walls instead of the way Asami's slim fingers interlaced with her own. She recognized the dark wooden paneling and marble floors, remembering how modern and fashionable Asami's home always seemed compared to the more traditional structures of the compound in the South Pole and Air Temple Island. As they passed a room lined with bookshelves, Korra began to grow curious.

"I seem to recall you saying something about a secret hideout," she said.

"We're almost there." Asami came to a stop before a set of glass doors that led to a large courtyard. She stepped through the doors and motioned for Korra to follow. "This is it," she said.

Korra walked out into the courtyard and nearly stumbled. The scent of exotic flowers and plants washed over her and her eyes were assaulted with a cacophony of greens and browns. Slender trees arched over a footpath lit by sunlight that filtered through gaps in the leafy canopy. Korra could hear the faint trickle of a stream that was hidden from view by sprawling ferns and some wide-leafed plant she couldn't name. As her eyes followed the tree line, she realized that a spirit vine was growing out of what must've been the middle of the courtyard.

It took Korra a moment to find her voice again. "Wow. This is amazing," she said.

"I'm glad you like it." Asami gestured toward the vine. "When it became clear the vines were here to stay, I decided to have the courtyard turned into a garden."

Korra took a few steps down the footpath and felt Asami walk behind her. She grinned and looked around with unconcealed joy, forgetting all about the sweltering heat. "This is so cool, Asami."

Asami laughed. "This where I go when I need to think or just want to be alone. None of the household staff comes out here. It's my little slice of the Spirit Wilds. My own secret hideout."

A gentle breeze wound its way through the trees and Korra followed it deeper into the garden. She came to a halt in front of the vine and placed her hand on its cool surface. Spirit energy buzzed and tickled the palm of her hand. Her eyes drifted shut and she sensed the connection to the network of vines that ran throughout the city. She hadn't developed the same affinity for visualizing as Toph had, but she could still pick up certain distinct vibrations caused by the spirit energy. A touch on her shoulder startled her and pulled her out of her reverie.

"Korra?"

Korra blinked hard and saw Asami's concern. "I'm alright."

"Sorry," Asami said. "You just kind of slipped away and I wasn't sure what happened."

"It's okay. I should be the one apologizing. I've developed a bad habit of drifting off like that." Korra shook her head. "I finally got in touch with my spiritual side and now I have trouble tuning it out. I blame Raava," she said with a laugh.

It was Asami's turn to be amused. "I can't imagine what that's like. I suppose there's a lot more to being the Avatar than I'll ever really understand."

Korra frowned and stepped closer to Asami, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I doubt that," she said. "I think you understand me better than anyone else."

Asami looked away. "Even though we haven't seen each other in years?" she asked.

Guilt ripped through Korra. She struggled to think of an appropriate response and came up with nothing. The silence that hung between them seemed to stretch on forever. Eventually, Asami began to pull back, but Korra tightened her grip on her shoulder. Korra slid an arm around her waist and slanted her mouth over Asami's. Full, red lips moved against hers and Korra nearly sighed with relief. She wrapped a possessive arm around Asami's waist and buried the other in her hair. A moan slipped out of Asami's mouth and Korra felt a familiar warmth coil up inside her. She tightened her grip as Asami sank into the embrace. The taller woman somehow felt small in her arms and it made Korra want to hold on and never let go. She finally did when Asami's hands slid down to brace herself against Korra's chest as she gently pushed her away. Reluctantly, Korra stepped back and struggled to catch her breath.

Asami opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it. She ran her hands through her hair to smooth it out and looked everywhere except at Korra. After a moment, she pointed back down the footpath. "The tea is probably ready by now," she said.

A heavy weight settled in Korra's stomach and she nodded dumbly. She hesitated before following Asami, fighting a growing sense of dread and confusion. This wasn't exactly the homecoming she'd expected.

**/**

**A/N: So sorry, not sorry. But i promise this story will have a happy ending, so don't worry. The point of this whole thing is i think there's got to be more to Korra's return to Republic City than, "Oh, yay! Korra's here to save the day! Now we can all kick back, relax, and goof off." We don't yet know how everyone will react when Korra rolls back into their lives, but it would be unrealistic not to expect her to have to deal with the consequences of years of silence. It's clear that her friends and family are all very supportive people, but you can't tell me some folks aren't a little hurt by her lack of communication and sudden disappearance. Anywho, you'd best sit down and buckle your seat belts, 'cause the next chapter's a doozy (it was for me, anyway).**


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: LoK and all associated stuff belongs to Nick and blah blah blah, let'sgetonwithit.**

**SPOILER ALERT: This fic was written shortly after the release of Book 4, Chapter 3. It is safe to assume that you'll run into spoilers if you haven't gotten up to this point. This fic takes place sometime after Korra's return to Republic City (whenever that's going to be), so it's also safe to assume that i'm making up a bunch of stuff. You have been warned.**

**/**

"You want to do _what_?"

Korra didn't have to look at Tenzin to know that her mentor's face was frozen in an expression of shock. She shoveled another mouthful of stir-fried vegetables and chewed. "I said I want to disband the White Lotus."

"Are you sure that's wise?"

That question came from the other side of the room. Korra glanced up and saw Iroh, who sat next to his grandfather and regarded her warily. Iroh's face was filled with doubt, but Zuko only looked on with amusement. Korra waved her chopsticks dismissively. "No," she admitted.

"Then why do it?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," said Korra. She turned to Jinora without missing a beat and asked, "Hey, could you pass the dumplings?"

The young airbending master handed her the basket of dumplings and Korra plucked two from the small pile. She popped one into her mouth and smiled. The room fell into an awkward silence and she turned her attention back to her audience. Tenzin, Pema, and their three other children sat on the opposite side of the large table. She was flanked to the left and the right by Iroh and Zuko, Tonraq, Kya, and Lin. Korra noticed that even though the chief of police had so far remained silent, she appeared more curious than critical.

Tenzin pulled at his beard. "I think what the general means to say is that the White Lotus has become a pretty large force. They've been very useful, especially when it comes to serving the Avatar," he said.

Korra set down her chopsticks and put both hands on the table. "That's exactly the problem. Look, I've had a lot of time to think about this," she insisted. "Zaheer's crazy, but he was also right about a few things. One of those things is that the White Lotus has strayed from its true path. It used to be a neutral force dedicated to philosophy and the pursuit of truth. Then it became Aang's private little army, and that's not right. The Avatar shouldn't have an army." She sighed and leaned back. "I want it disbanded by the end of the year. If the council and Grand Lotus decide they really want to stick around, that's fine, but I'm absolving them of responsibility towards me and all future Avatars."

No one seemed willing or able to argue against her. It was clear she had come to this decision a long time ago. The awkward silence threatened to return, but it was chased away as a gravelly chuckle slowly built up and drifted across the room. All eyes turned toward Zuko.

"Well, this certainly isn't something I expected to happen during my visit," said the former Fire Lord. "Though I must say I'm quite glad to bear witness. You are nothing if not a harbinger of change, Avatar Korra. Now, where's dessert?"

/

Korra took a quick stroll around the island to stretch her legs and clear her head. Her announcement over dinner had gone much more smoothly than anticipated, but she was still a little worried about how everything would play out. She turned back toward the dining hall and tried to let go of her worries. A flutter of orange and red caught her eye and she saw Jinora sitting on the temple steps, gazing wistfully at the stars.

"Uh oh. I know that look," Korra teased. She plopped down next to Jinora and nudged her with an elbow. "Did you get another letter from Kai?"

Jinora blushed shyly. "Yeah. He said he and Opal will be back here in a few weeks."

"That's great. I hope your dad doesn't make him sleep in the guard shack again."

"Oh, spirits." Jinora hid her face in her hands. "You heard about that?"

Korra grinned. "Oh yeah. Kya told me aaaaaalllll about it."

"Ugh. I'm going to die of embarrassment," the girl groaned, making Korra laugh. "It's not like we did anything!"

"That's not what I heard."

"I swear, we just kissed. That's all!"

"Calm down," Korra said with a smile, slinging an arm around Jinora's tiny shoulders. "It's okay. I'm just giving you a hard time."

Jinora immediately relaxed. "I know. Sorry. I guess I'm so used to Ikki and Meelo bugging me about it. Dad's gotten so overprotective. And then just the other day…" her voice trailed off and her face contorted into a mix of horror and mortification. "Just the other day, mom gave me _the talk_. The _talk_, Korra! I'm fourteen and I have three younger siblings. I _know_. I don't need _the talk_," she hissed, gripping Korra's arm.

Korra held her stomach and doubled over, laughing until she was left gasping for air. Eventually, she caught her breath and looked over at the exasperated young airbender. "If it makes you feel any better," she said, "Katara's the one who had to tell me where babies come from."

"Woah. Awkward"

"Yeah. 'Awkward' is kind of an understatement," said Korra.

Heavy footsteps thudded on the stone steps behind them. "Excuse me, Avatar Korra?"

She looked back over her shoulder and saw Iroh standing nearby. "Hey," she said.

Iroh clasped his hands behind his back. "I wanted to say I'm sorry to have questioned your judgment in front of everyone. I spoke without thinking."

Korra raised an eyebrow. "It's okay Iroh, there's need to be so formal around here. And anyway, I'm glad you said something," she said. "No major decision should go unquestioned, especially when it will affect a lot of people."

Iroh appeared to take a moment to mull this over in his mind. Finally, he smiled and his posture loosened slightly. "You've grown quite a bit since we first met, Avatar Korra. Miss Sato is very lucky to have you. Please tell her I send my regards."

Korra watched him disappear down the covered walkway. "Wait, what was that about?"

Jinora looked as puzzled as Korra felt. "I have no idea."

/

The mid-morning sun beat down on the back of Korra's neck, promising to deliver another sweltering summer day. For the tenth time in as many minutes, Korra smoothed invisible wrinkles from her shirt and ran a nervous hand through her hair. She raised a fist to knock on the large wooden door in front of her and hesitated. It had been three days since she last saw Asami and she hadn't heard a single word from her. The lack of communication made her nervous. Korra sucked in a deep breath and raised her hand one more. This time, the door swung open before she could muster the nerve to knock.

Wei greeted her with a curt nod. "Good morning, Avatar Korra," said the short butler. "I wasn't aware you were coming by. Is Miss Sato expecting you?"

"Uh, no. But I was hoping I might be able to talk to her anyway," she said.

"Well, lucky for you, she's in her office as we speak. Please, come in."

Korra stepped inside, grateful to be out of the sun. "Thanks."

"Please wait here. I'll go see if Miss Sato is busy," said Wei.

Korra watched him hustle off down a hall and hoped she didn't look as uncertain as she felt. By the time the butler returned and motioned for her to follow him, she had managed to calm down enough to look somewhat composed. She willed her feet to move and walked toward a set of dark-stained wooden doors. Wei held one open and Korra entered. The smile waiting for her made her heart skip a beat and she couldn't help but smile in return.

"Korra, what a surprise," said Asami. The taller woman stood behind her desk and walked around to give her a hug. "It's so good to see you."

Korra barely registered the sound of the door closing behind her. All she could think about was the warmth of Asami in her arms. "Hey. I was passing by and I thought I'd stop to say hello," she said.

Asami pulled back and gave her an indulgent smile. "I live on the far side of the city."

"Okay, you caught me," Korra said with a grin. "I just wanted to see you."

"Well then, here I am." The engineer leaned back against her desk and tilted her head to the side. Her flirtatious smile faded and she toyed with a stack of papers that sat next to her desk lamp. "Actually, I've been meaning to call, but I heard that you had some visitors at the island and I thought you might be busy. I didn't want to interrupt anything, so I thought it might be best to wait until the weekend."

Korra remembered the previous night's strange encounter. "Funny you should mention that. Lord Zuko is here to meet with Tenzin about the Fire Nation's offer to help with the restoration project at the Western Air Temple. We were expecting him to come alone, but General Iroh is in town, too."

Asami paled. "Oh, is he?"

"He, uh, sends his regards."

"Ah." Asami crossed her arms and refused to meet Korra's gaze. "Well if you see him again, tell him I responded in kind."

The tone in her voice made Korra's mouth go dry. "I was kinda surprised to find that he knew, actually."

"Knew what?"

"About us."

"Oh. Yeah." Asami shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I mean, not that I thought it was some deep, dark secret." Korra rubbed the back of her neck and had the uneasy feeling that she was about to make a horrible misstep. "I didn't realize you and Iroh were so close."

"We're not. Not really," said Asami. She looked up at Korra, eyes silently pleading for her to stop digging.

Korra ignored the warning. "Oh. I thought the way he mentioned you was a little weird. You know, kinda out of the blue. I mean, I knew you guys had met before and it would make sense he'd remember you since you're pretty hard to forget and - "

"I slept with him, Korra."

There. It was out in the open. The suspicion she didn't even know she'd harbored had just been confirmed. Her heart froze and she felt as if a stone was lodged in her throat. Asami's admission echoed in her ears and Korra reached for a chair to steady herself. "When?" she asked.

Asami stared at the floor. "While you were gone," she said. "It was about a year after you left Republic City. I ran into him at the United Republic Founding Day gala. We started talking, got drunk, and one thing led to another."

"More than once?"

"Yes, more than once," Asami said defensively. "It was only a fling. Sex with no emotional entanglement. We ended it after a few weeks. It never got serious."

Korra gripped the chair, suddenly feeling faint. She ran a hand through her hair and blinked back tears. "And you didn't think to tell me about any of this?"

"What good would it have done, Korra? What was I supposed to do? I wrote to you. We all did. No one had heard from you in over a year and we even started to doubt that you would ever come back. And…" Asami's shoulders sagged and she finally looked up at Korra. "I was lonely," she confessed.

Blood pounded in Korra's ears as memories of desperate kisses and hushed moans raced through her head. "So everything that happened between us… Was that because you were lonely then, too?"

"No, of course not."

"Was I just another 'fling' to you? Is that why you pushed me away when we were in the garden?" she asked.

Asami stiffened. "Spirits, Korra. That's not fair. You know that's not the case."

"How lonely did you get? Who else did you sleep with?" The pointed questions slipped out of Korra's mouth before she could stop herself. She had only a moment to register the hurt in Asami's eyes before it was replaced with an icy anger.

"I think you need to leave," she said.

Korra dropped her forehead into her hands. "Crap. Asami, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to - "

Asami shook her head. "Get out."

Wordlessly, Korra slipped out the door and blindly rushed down the hall, pretending not to hear the sobs she left behind.

/

Korra was trying to meditate. Trying and failing. Miserably. She sat in the center of the meditation pavilion and willed herself to focus. She tried starting with the basics, concentrating on her breathing and cultivating a sense of awareness. It didn't work. She was just about to give up when a gust of wind whipped her hair into her face.

"Korra!"

She cracked open one eye. "Hello, Meelo."

"Mako wants to know if you can have visitors."

"Not now," she said. "I'm meditating."

"No you're not. I can tell because you're face is all scrunched up and frowny," he insisted.

Korra closed her eyes again and corrected herself. "I'm _trying_ to meditate," she said. "Tell Mako I'll call him back."

Someone stepped up onto the pavilion and stood next to her. "Not gonna happen," he said. "I'm already here."

Groaning, Korra slumped and opened her eyes. "Hey, Mako," she said.

The firebender sat down next to her and crossed his arms. He glowered at her for a moment, then sighed. His expression softened a little, though not entirely. "Bolin said Asami called. I guess she seemed pretty upset," he said. "Wanna tell me what happened?"

"Not really."

"Korra…"

Korra huffed and looked over her shoulder. "Hey, Meelo? Would you mind checking on Naga for me? I bet she's ready for a snack."

Meelo saluted and then hopped on an air scooter with a loud whoop. Korra watched him speed off before turning back to Mako. She stopped short of making eye contact. She couldn't quite bring herself to do it.

"So…"

Korra took a deep breath. "I screwed up, Mako. I said things that I shouldn't have."

"Haven't we all?"

"This is different. I said things I didn't mean. Horrible things." Korra shook her head. She flicked a pebble and watched it skip off the pavilion with a frown. "I don't know if I can fix it."

Mako leaned forward. "Look, if there's one thing I know about you and Asami, it's that you're both stubborn. But both of you are also very forgiving. I'm sure that it'll all work out if you talk to her."

"Are you sure?" she asked hopefully. "You're not just saying that to be nice, are you?"

"I mean it," he said. "With that said, there's something else you need to remember."

"What's that?"

Mako grew serious. "I know you had a really difficult time after everything that happened to you. I get it. But you're not the only one who was hurt. You didn't make it easy on us when you left everyone wondering what the hell was going on. I know you had your reasons and Asami understands that, too. But look at it from her point of view. You can't just blow back into her life like some damn leaf on the wind or whatever the heck Tenzin always says." He hesitated and shrank back. "Sorry. That came out more harshly than it was supposed to."

Korra sighed. It hurt, but he was right. "It's okay," she said. "I probably needed to hear that from someone."

"I'm glad I could be of service," Mako said, replacing his frown with a good-natured smile.

Korra almost laughed, but stopped short. "Wait. You _know_ about me and Asami?"

"Uh, yeah. It was pretty obvious." Mako scratched his head and turned a bright shade of red. "That, and my room was next to yours."

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"On the airship," he clarified. "You two were… kinda loud that night."

Korra buried her face in her hands. "Oh, spirits. This just got really weird and embarrassing."

"Get over it," he said with a shrug. "I have."

"I am an idiot."

"No, Korra. You're just human."

**/**

**Woah, you guys. Woah. A few things here:**

**I have this head cannon in which Jinora looks up to Korra like a big sister. I think it works.**

**Korra's definitely matured, but I don't think we've seen the last of her impulsiveness and short temper. Another thing to consider is the fact that she did pretty much cut everyone out of her life. Yes, she was in the process of healing, but she undoubtedly (if unintentionally) hurt some feelings. I'm sure no one was hurt more than the people who cared about her the most, and that's something she's going to have to deal with.**

**One thing i find interesting is that even though we've seen (so far) that Korra knows the world did not stop revolving when she left Republic City, we don't know whether or not she really understands it. Knowing on a cognitive level is one thing, but ****_understanding_**** on an emotional level is sometimes very different. I'm really interested in seeing how Korra reacts to realizing that her friends moved on without her, even though they all genuinely missed her.**

**Haha. Imagine Mako unable to sleep because he couldn't block out the sound of his ex-girlfriends going at it in the room next door. The visual makes me laugh so hard i might pee myself.**


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: LoK and all associated stuff belongs to Nick and blah blah blah, let'sgetonwithit.**

**SPOILER ALERT: This fic was written shortly after the release of Book 4, Chapter 3. It is safe to assume that you'll run into spoilers if you haven't gotten up to this point. This fic takes place sometime after Korra's return to Republic City (whenever that's going to be), so it's also safe to assume that i'm making up a bunch of stuff. You have been warned.**

**A/N: Behold, the finale! For those of you who clicked on this and slogged through nearly six thousand words in search of naughty adult things, your patience is about to be rewarded. The full version can be found on AO3: http*:*/*archiveofourown*.*org*/*works/2484908/chapters/5513882 (you'll have to delete all of the * because ffn won't let me post a hyperlink for some reason).**

**/**

A rock hurtled at her face, too close and too quick to block. Korra faded back and twisted her shoulders as it passed over head, reflexively coming back with a left hook-right punch-rear round kick combo that caught Bolin off guard. The earthbender managed to block the punches, but at the cost of leaving himself open to the rock sent flying by the round kick. Rock met ribs and knocked the breath out of Bolin. He dropped to his knees and waved a hand in the air.

"Time out!" he gasped.

"Oh, crap." Korra jogged across the training yard. "Are you okay, Bolin?"

He rolled back onto his butt with a groan. "Yeah. I'm good. Just give me a second."

Korra knelt down next to him and bent some water out of a nearby clay jug. Her hands began to glow and she moved the water around, looking for signs of serious injury. She frowned in concentration. Bruised ribs. A bit of swelling. Nothing too bad. "You'll have a pretty colorful bruise in the morning, but I can take care of the rest," she said.

"Eh, it's okay." Bolin winced. "That was pretty creative, by the way. Painful, but creative. What the heck was that, exactly?"

"Airbending footwork with earthbending strikes."

"Man, Korra. You sure I can't convince you to go back into probending with me?" he asked only half joking.

Korra smiled. "Tempting, but I'll have to pass. You know, Avatar duties and all that. Gotta maintain that balance and keep the peace."

"Yeah, speaking of peacekeeping," Bolin began, "I don't suppose you've spoken to Asami recently."

The water in Korra's hands faltered. "No. Not in the past couple of days."

"Aaaand why not?"

She frowned. "I keep trying to call, but her secretary always says she's busy." Korra sighed and bent the water back into the jug. "There. All done."

"So she's avoiding you. Wow, that sucks." Bolin stood and offered Korra a hand, yanking her to her feet when she accepted.

Korra brushed the dirt from her pants. "I know I screwed up, Bolin, but how am I supposed to apologize if she won't even talk to me?"

"Talk to her tonight."

"Why? What's going on tonight?" Korra asked. She dunked her head into the jug to cool off, straightened, and whipped her hair about like a polar bear dog.

"Oooh, that looks like a good idea." Bolin grinned and followed her lead. "Anyway, Opal and I are going out to dinner tonight. I'm taking her to Narook's. Asami promised to pull herself away from her prototypes and gadgets long enough to join us. I asked Mako this morning and he said he'd try to make it. You should come, too."

"I don't know."

"Come on," Bolin begged. "It'll be just like old times. All you have to do is show up at six o' clock sharp."

"I'll think about it," said Korra.

Bolin put his hands on her shoulders and stared at her. "Korra, I know this is rough, but it's times like this that you have to ask yourself one question."

"What's that?" she asked.

"What would Nuktuk do?"

/

Nuktuk, Korra decided, was an idiot. She paced back and forth in front of Narook's. Mako canceled at the last minute and she imagined it was a strategic move on his part. Her suspicions grew when six o'clock came and went and neither Bolin nor Opal showed. She was just about to leave when a familiar face materialized out of the crowd.

"Asami?"

Asami hesitated. "Korra? What are you doing here? Where's Bolin?"

"Bolin invited me," she said. "Though I haven't seen him yet."

Green eyes narrowed. "Of course you haven't. We've been set up. It's the oldest trick in the book. Such a cliche." Asami crossed her arms and looked around. "I bet Bolin never even had any intention of coming to Narook's tonight."

Korra nervously rubbed the back of her neck and scanned the crowd, stalling in an effort to think of something to say. When she gave up searching for sign of Bolin, she turned back and realized Asami was already gone. She muttered a curse under her breath and set off in the direction Asami had come from.

"Asami, wait!" Korra shouted. She hopped up on a stack of crates and caught a glimpse of long raven hair and fair skin fading into the throng of people. A sense of urgency hit Korra and she went chasing after Asami, using a small blast of wind to boost her jump off the crates. She was beginning to think she'd lost her when she saw the engineer striding towards her parked Satomobile. Korra skidded to a halt just as Asami started the engine and pulled away from the curb.

"Move, Korra."

Korra held up one hand and took a moment to catch her breath. "Wait, Asami. Just give me a second. Hear me out."

Asami's resolve began to crumble, but she refused to put the car back into park. "Why?" she asked.

"I want to apologize. I need to explain myself," said Korra. "Five minutes. That's all I'm asking. Listen to me for five minutes and then if you want me to, I'll leave."

The older woman appeared to consider the offer, then nodded. "Get in. I'm not doing this out in the street."

Korra ran around to the passenger side and vaulted into the seat. The pair sat in silence as the car sped through the streets, engine purring like a happy tigerdillo. Asami eventually pulled over and parked near the entrance to the city park. She twisted in her seat and looked evenly at Korra.

"Talk," she said.

Korra glanced at the park and decided to try her luck. "Let's take a walk."

Asami sighed. "Fine."

The two women entered the park and dodged a young firebender as he went from lamplight to lamplight, flicking a flame into each one to fend off the growing darkness. Korra jammed her hands into her pockets and steeled herself. When the firebender was finally out of earshot, she looked around to make sure they were alone. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to drown out the sound of her own heartbeat. "I'm sorry," she said.

Asami remained silent, though she seemed more saddened than angry. "I'm sorry, too. I should've told you about Iroh, but I didn't know how."

Korra stopped her with a hand on her arm. "No, Asami. I'm the only one who needs to apologize. I'm the one with the short fuse and big mouth. You haven't done anything wrong. Even if you don't forgive me, I hope you believe me when I say I'm sorry." She drew back and let her arms fall to her sides. "Asami, I really am so sorry."

"I know, but I won't lie and say it didn't hurt," Asami said, causing Korra to flinch. "Though I suppose it goes both ways. I was afraid to tell you about Iroh because I didn't want to hurt you."

Korra tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked down. "Truth be told, there was a part of me that would've felt like I deserved it. I was afraid you would be angry at me for not writing. At the time, I think I _wanted_ you and everyone else to be angry with me. I was so lost and disappointed in myself. I was so tired of hearing everyone tell me that I'd get better. I felt so weak and useless."

"I understand, actually. It all made sense after I got your letter. But even then…" Asami shook her head and wiped away a tear before it could roll down her cheek. "I thought that maybe I'd done something to push you away. I know that's a selfish thing to think, but I couldn't help it."

Korra took a step forward. "Asami, you know that's not true."

The engineer avoided her gaze with uncharacteristic shyness. "Do I? I thought… I thought that you regretted what happened between us. I was afraid you wanted to forget," she said.

Korra's heart pounded in her ears. She remembered shared smiles and stolen glimpses in Zao Fu, clasped hands in the desert, and the intimacy of their last night in the airship. "No," she whispered. She reached forward to cup Asami's face with one hand and let the other slide up to her waist. "I would never wish to forget that."

Asami let herself be pulled closer. She slid her arms around Korra's neck and leaned forward. "You were away for so long."

"I thought about you every day," she breathed. Korra stroked her cheek with her fingertips and gave her a sad smile. "You were always with me, even though you were here in Republic City. I imagined you were there when I learned to walk again. I could hear you cheering me on when I made it through an entire firebending form. I felt you hold my hand when struggled to bend the last bit of metal out of my body. So no, I regret nothing that happened between us. I need you, Asami."

Korra tilted her head and captured Asami's mouth in a hesitant kiss. Asami stiffened in her arms and Korra almost sagged with relief when she finally relaxed and returned the kiss, moving her full lips with an eagerness that matched her own. She felt the engineer's nimble fingers bury themselves in her hair and a tightness continued to build within her as Asami's nails gently scraped her scalp. Korra's hands drifted down to her lower back, pausing for only a moment before sliding further down to grip her firmly. The taller woman moaned and reluctantly pushed away from Korra.

Asami reached up with one hand and brushed aside a piece of Korra's hair, mirroring her actions from earlier that week. "Home?" she asked.

She didn't have to say anything else.

Korra nodded and followed Asami to her car. The ride back to the Sato estate went by in the blink of an eye, and yet still seemed to take forever. They were undoubtedly seen by some of the house staff as they stumbled inside and down the halls to her bedroom. Korra wondered what they made of Asami's swollen lips and unruly hair. After only a little thought, she found that she didn't really care. When they finally reached the room, Korra kept her hands to herself and fought to remain calm. Asami closed the door behind her and looked over her shoulder at Korra, sliding the lock into place with a definitive click. That was all the permission she needed.

Wordlessly, Korra swept in to pick up where she left off in the park. She pinned Asami against the wall with her hips and let her kisses drift from Asami's mouth to her collarbone. The aggressive move drew a moan from Asami's throat and Korra's hips instinctively jerked in response. Korra tugged at the hem of Asami's thin shirt and slid her hands underneath to cup her breasts. The older woman arched into her with a gasp and Korra groaned.

"Those noises you're making," she mumbled into Asami's neck, struggling to remember the words she needed. "I can't…" Korra reached for the waistband of Asami's skirt, fumbling with the ties, stopping only when Asami's hands stilled hers and gently pushed her away. Korra grunted softly in frustration and gradually realized the other woman was laughing at her.

"Slow down," Asami chided her, not bothering to hide her amusement. She tilted her head and kissed Korra deeply, then pulled back once more. "There's no rush this time."

Asami took a few steps away. It seemed to Korra that miles stretched out between them until she noticed that Asami was headed towards her bed. Bed. Yes. Good. Korra nodded as if drafting up a plan of attack. Bed was a good idea. She could do bed. Asami sat down on the edge of the mattress and held out a hand, beckoning Korra to join her. She quickly complied and nearly pounced on the engineer.

Asami laughed at the hungry look in Korra's eyes. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to get much sleep tonight?"

/

Asami sat with her back against the headrest and Korra settled herself between Asami's legs, relaxing back into her chest. She couldn't help but be momentarily transfixed by the way moonlight somehow sharpened the contrast between dark and pale skin. Korra tucked her head under Asami's chin and felt her reach over to pick up her hand. Korra flexed her fingers and let her examine her cracked callouses. Asami ran her thumb over the back of her hand and found a small, barely visible scar near her knuckles.

"What's this from?"

Korra frowned. "The desert. I slipped and scraped my hand on a rock when I fell."

Asami kissed her knuckles. "Tell me about it," she said.

"I just did."

"No, I mean everything. Tell me what happened while you were gone. Tell me things you haven't shared with us yet," she insisted. "Tell me things you left out of your letter."

And so she did. She talked about the difficulties of learning to walk again and her frustration at her inability to reach the Avatar State. She spoke in detail about her tears and triumphs, her shame, and her nightmares. She even told Asami about the discovery that she had been fighting a three-year-long battle with remnants of the metallic poison she didn't know were still in her body. She felt herself relax more and more as the night went on. It felt good to finally tell someone the whole story.

Korra knew then that she had reached the elusive point of return Katara had once referred to. She'd won. Even if she never stopped having nightmares and never forgot about Amon, Unalaq, or Zaheer, she was still going to come out on top. Korra smiled when she realized something else as Asami kissed her. She knew that no matter how much the world changed - with or without her - there were some things that would always remain the same.

**/**

**I regret nothing!**


End file.
